1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle door handle and a vehicle door handle manufacturing method.
2. Description of the Related Art
A vehicle door is equipped with a vehicle door handle of an arbitrary one of various types so as to open and close the vehicle door. For instance, there is known a vehicle door handle configured as follows. If a user grips a grip handle main body and pulls the handle main body toward the user when opening the door, then a door lock mechanism of the door is released. If the user further pulls the handle main body toward the user in that released state, the user can open the door.
Patent Literature 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-041811
Specifically, the vehicle door handle that includes the grip handle main body as disclosed in the Patent Literature 1 is configured by assembling together, for example, a lever-shaped handle main body (grip outer handle), a base member (frame), an elastic member (a coil spring), and a bell crank (handle lever). The lever-shaped handle main body (grip outer handle) is arranged at a predetermined position of the vehicle door and operated when the door is opened or closed. The base member (frame) is a member for attaching the handle main body to a door outer panel or the like. The elastic member (coil spring) consists of a torsion spring or the like that urges the handle main body in a direction of returning the main body into an original state when the handle main body is operated. The bell crank (handle lever), with which one end of the elastic member is engaged, is linked to a door lock mechanism.
Further, the handle main body includes a rotation support formed on one end of the handle main body and an engagement portion formed on the other end thereof. The rotation support serves as a spindle and rotatably fixes the handle main body. The engagement portion includes a hook protruding upright in a longitudinal direction of the handle main body and a stopper located on a tip end of the hook. The base member 103 includes a fixing portion that rotatably fixes the rotation support, stopper engagement portions 107, and guide walls 108 to correspond to the both ends of the handle main body, respectively. As shown in FIG. 7A, the stopper engagement portions 107, with which the stopper is engaged, restrict the handle main body to be rotatable within a rotation range. The guide walls 108 are formed on both sides of the stopper, respectively, and guide a rotation operation of the handle main body.
Meanwhile, such a base member 103 is formed integrally out of, for example, a plastic material. In forming the base member 103, a separable mold including, for example, a fixed mold part, a movable mold part, and the like is sometimes used. FIG. 7B is a cross-sectional view of the base member 103 taken along a line X-X of FIG. 7A. As shown in FIG. 7B, inner wall surfaces 108a of the respective guide walls 108 facing each other are formed to be inclined in a direction in which a distance between the inner wall surfaces 108a is widened from a rear anchor end (the stopper engagement portion 107 side) toward a tip end of the base member 103. To do so, it is necessary to set a draft for relatively separating the movable mold part from the fixed mold part in an arrow “Y” direction when the base member 103 is to be one-piece molded with plastics. Accordingly, a gradient “t” for the draft is formed.
FIGS. 8A to 8C are explanatory views of states in which the conventional vehicle door handle is used, respectively, and correspond to the X-X cross-section shown in FIG. 7B. Fig. 8A shows a state in which the handle main body is not operated (a non-operated position). FIG. 8B shows a state in which the handle main body is operated (an operated position). As shown in FIG. 8A, the handle main body 101 is always held and urged by the elastic member in a direction of approaching the vehicle door. A gap corresponding to the gradient “t” is formed between the inner wall surface 108a of each guide wall 108 and each side surface 106a of the stopper 106 since dimensions are set according to the rear anchor end of each guide wall 108. As shown in FIG. 8B, if the handle main body 102 is pulled toward a position at which the stopper 106 is engaged with the stopper engagement portions 107 against an urging force of the elastic member, the door lock mechanism of the door is released. In this released state, when the handle main body 102 is pulled toward the user, the door can be opened
However, the conventional vehicle door handle has the following disadvantages. Fig. 8C shows a state in which the handle main body 102 is operated to be pulled to a maximum state, and in which the stopper 106 is engaged with the respective stopper engagement portions 107. In this state, the handle main body 102 is restricted by the respective stopper engagement portions 107 only such that the both side surfaces 106a of the stopper 106 are adjacent to the inner wall surfaces 108a of the respective guide walls 108 with slight gaps formed therebetween, and such that outer side surfaces 105a of the hook 105 are adjacent to the inner side surfaces 107a of the respective stopper engagement portions 107 with slight gaps formed therebetween. As a result, if the stopper 106 is inclined according to the gradient “t”, a grip of the handle main body 102 is vertically moved by as much as a displacement “T” to be proportional with a length of the hook 105. Namely, a rattle corresponding to the displacement “T” occurs, thereby deteriorating a feel of the handle main body 102 (grip) when the user grips the handle main body 102. Further, in FIG. 8A, a gap (a play) is generated between the stopper 106 and a tip end of each guide wall 108. Due to this, if the user grips the handle main body 102 and applies a vertical force to the handle main body 102, a rattle occurs, thereby deteriorating the feel of the handle main body 102.
Moreover, the guide walls 108 are formed to be relatively thin Due to this, with the passage of time, a deformation occurs to the guide walls 108 in a thickness direction For example, the guide walls 108 facing each other fall down either outward or inward. If the guide walls 108 fall down outward, the gaps between the guide walls 108 and the stopper 106 are wider. As a result, a degree of the rattle is higher. If the guide walls 108 fall down inward, an operativity for pressurizing the stopper 106 slidably moved between the guide walls 108 is deteriorated.